On June 8th, the U.S. Senate passed legislation (the WILD Act) by unanimous consent to reauthorize the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program as well as create new national conservation awards and reauthorize several other wildlife species conservation programs, The WILD Act reauthorizes the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program through 2022 and increases the authorized funding level from $75 to $100 million. The bi-partisan bill now heads over to house. For the complete text of the WILD Act click here.
USDA - Natural Resources
Conservation Service releases Longleaf Pine Strategy
The NRCS has released a new strategy to improve the health of the longleaf pine ecosystem which historically covered a huge swath of nine southeastern states from Virginia to Texas. The strategy focuses on four main conservation actions including managing vegetation competing with longleaf pine, using prescribed fire to mimic natural processes critical to longleaf, planting of new forests and protection of existing forests through conservation easements. Read a news release here and the access the complete strategy here.
Check out this video from Western Landowners Alliance featuring David Spicer, who ranches, farms and mines near Nye County, Nevada with the Amargosa Toad. Mr. Spicer has been working with his neighbors and partners to restore habitat for the toad in riparian areas along the Amargosa River. David Spicer and Christiana Manville, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Biologist, attended Private Lands Partners Day 2013 and shared this amazing story. Thank you to David Spicer and Western Landowners Alliance. Worth the watch!
A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR
Greetings!
I hope your summer is going well! Great to see that the southeast finally received some much needed rain over the last several weeks. Hopeful that the folks in eastern Montana and the Dakotas will get some moisture soon. In addition to the much needed rain, PFC got some other great news in June. On June 8th the Senate passed the WILD Act by unanimous consent and sent the Act to the House. This bipartisan act supports innovation in conservation and wildlife management and reauthorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program through 2022. The partnerships, relationships and projects that comprise the PFW program are some of the best examples of how public-private partnerships can sustain our national working landscapes. Hope the WILD Act gets a good reception in the House!
Yours in Conservation
Jim Stone
Ovando, Montana
Private Lands Partners Day 2017 Registration is Open!
Make plans to attend the 10th Annual Private Lands Partners Day this year in Bangor, Maine hosted in partnership withKeeping Maine's Forests.
This annual gathering is the premier national meeting of landowners and partners engaged in collaborative conservation to sustain working landscapes. Register at the early bird rate through the end of July! Find more information on the conference and register by clicking here.
ABOUT PARTNERS FOR CONSERVATION
Partners for Conservation (PFC) is a private landowner-led organization which communicates and collaborates on conservation partnerships for working landscapes to benefit present and future generations.
Consider becoming a member of Partners for Conservation. Partners for Conservation works to support collaboration and public-private partnerships as the first choice for conserving our national working landscapes for people and nature. More information on membership can be found on our website.
